Sulpicians Form New Partnership with Assumption Seminary
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The Sulpicians, Province of the US Up date Winter 2018 Sulpicians Form New Partnership With Provincial’s Message When one door closes . Assumption Seminary the major seminaries in the John C. Kemper, PSS “And now, we take up this journey... A journey of fraternity, Southwest. lexander Graham Bell of love, of trust among us. Let us “San Antonio has long been A(1848-1922), scientist, always pray for one another. Let us a place of willing collaboration inventor, engineer, and pray for the whole world, that and combining of resources. innovator, is credited with there may be a great spirit of Assumption Seminary has saying, “When one door fraternity.” followed this model. It has closes, another opens . .” Pope Francis resulted in the nurturing of As we usher in 2018, we many vocations and the often pause to reflect upon he Society of St. Sulpice, forming of many fine priests,” the year--on doors that closed Province of the U.S. said Archbishop Gustavo about and doors that opened. 2017 T(Sulpicians), will assume the this collaborative partnership has been a year of grace and administration and staffing of with the Sulpicians. favor for the Sulpicians of the Assumption Seminary in San “I look forward to the U.S. Province. In the spring, Antonio, Texas, on July 1, 2018. Sulpicians contributing the we closed the door on our 118 Most Rev. Gustavo García-Siller, level of experience, dedication, years of service at St. Patrick’s MSpS, Archbishop of San and vision for which they are Seminary in Menlo Park, Antonio and Very Rev. John C. well known. Together we will California. But we opened the Kemper, PSS, Provincial work to provide all that is good door to two other seminaries— Superior of the Sulpician for the formation of excellent one in Malawi (Southeast Fathers, signed the agreement priests as servant leaders in the Africa) and one in San Antonio, on November 21, 2017. image of Christ the Good Texas. Assumption Seminary is one of Shepherd for an evangelizing (Continued on back cover) (Continued on Page 2) Inside this issue: St. Anthony’s Seminary, Malawi ... pp 3-4 Blessing of Centre House and Chapel ... pp 6-7 Assumption Seminary ... pp 8-9 Bishops Visit Villa Olier ... pp 10-11 Update_Winter_2018.indd 1 2/12/2018 12:25:40 PM New Partnership (Continued from Page 1) Church,” Gustavo added. The archbishop is also the chairman of the Board of Trustees of Assumption Seminary. The Sulpicians have been assisting in the program at Assumption Seminary for the past twenty years. Beginning in July, the Sulpicians will assume administration of the seminary and appoint a rector and other formation faculty as necessary. This partnership At left: Anthony Pogorelc, PSS, Provincial Consultor and Sr. Jane Ann with the Archdiocese of San Antonio is a Slater, CDP, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of San Antonio witness the historical moment in the history of the document beginning the new partnership. Catholic Church in the United States, particularly in the Letter from the Archbishop of San Antonio Southwest. With this agreement, the Sulpician Fathers are taking It gives me great joy to announce the inauguration of a a historical step forward in partnership between Assumption Seminary of San Antonio and the serving the Church in one of its Society of St. Sulpice, Province of the U.S. For the past twenty most rapidly growing areas. years, at least a dozen Sulpicians have served on San Antonio’s seminary formation faculty. We have been pleased with their contributions to Assumption Seminary. On November 21, 2017, Very Rev. John C. Kemper, PSS, Provincial Superior and I, the Archbishop of San Antonio, signed Update an agreement of dedication and partnership. From fall 2018 and is a publication that seeks to inform moving forward, the Society of St. Sulpice, Province of the U.S., its readership of the state and will provide a RectorPr esident for Assumption Seminary. I look current activities of the US Province of the Society of St. forward to them contributing the level of experience, dedication Sulpice, its membership and and vision for which they are well known. institutions. For more information, San Antonio has long been a place of willing collaboration and please visit our website at www. combining of resources. Assumption Seminary has followed this sulpicians.org. model. It has resulted in the nurturing of many vocations and the Editor in Chief: forming of many fine priests. I am particularly edified by the Carleen Kramer relationship between Assumption Seminary, Oblate School of Copy Editor & Design: Theology, the Mexican American Catholic College and the Marguerite Plank University of the Incarnate Word. I am also impressed by the Proofreading & Support: collaboration created by the different members of the seminary Janine Vary faculty, the diocesan priests and deacons, religious priests, and lay Photographers: men and women. Blaine Carvalho, Robert Galvan, Once again, I am grateful to announce this added level of Eugene H. Mwanza, PSS collaboration with the Sulpicians. Together we will work to provide all that is good for the formation of excellent priests as servant If the recipient is not the correct leaders in the image of Christ the Good Shepherd for an person to receive Update, please evangelizing Church. email [email protected] Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S. Archbishop of San Antonio 2 Update Winter 2018 Update_Winter_2018.indd 2 2/12/2018 12:25:41 PM Going Back to the Roots— A New Sulpician Endeavor t the invitation of Cardinal Filoni, Prefect of the ACongregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and Archbishop Murat, Nuncio of Zambia and Malawi, and with the approval of Very Rev. Ronald D. Witherup, PSS, Sulpician Superior General, the Province of the United States has taken responsibility for St. Anthony’s Seminary, Kachebere, Malawi. The Episcopal Conference of Malawi has entrusted the priestly formation of its John C. Kemper, PSS, Mr. Sean Callahan, President & CEO of Catholic Relief seminarians to the Sulpicians Services, and Bishop Martin Mtumbuka, Bishop Director of Seminaries for the beginning February 2018. ECM, on a recent visit to CRS Worldwide Headquarters in Baltimore. Winter 2018 Update 3 Update_Winter_2018.indd 3 2/12/2018 12:25:42 PM Meet St. Anthony’s Administration and Faculty Patrick Simutowe, PSS Ms. Furlong recently Fr. Simutowe will serve as retired after a long career as Rector. He previously served an educator of Social as Rector at St. Augustine’s Studies, Political Science Major Seminary (Mpima) in and English at Delone Kabwe, Zambia. Catholic High School in “The call on the Zambian McSherrytown, Pennsylvania, Sulpicians to go and work in in the Diocese of Harrisburg. She holds a Master’s Degree St. Anthony Major Seminary in Political Science from the – Kachebere in Malawi is a University of Iowa and a call to the Zambian Church C.A.S. Certification in Educational Administration to go back to its roots. The from McDaniel University. She is interested in evangelization of Zambia Inter-Religious Dialogue and has served on came from Malawi through the Missionaries of numerous local and national committees. She has Africa—the White Fathers in 1891. Upon taught on the college level as a Visiting Professor establishing the Church, the White Fathers started and lecturer. to promote local vocations. The seminary to which “What a blessing it will be to work with the team many Zambian Seminarians were sent is of faculty and the Malawian seminarians, as well St. Anthony Major Seminary. As such, this new as with support staff in the next year. I especially mission of the Society of St. Sulpice is a call to the look forward to learning about the role of the Zambian Church to go back to the roots. We the Catholic faith in the daily lives of the young men Zambian Sulpicians shall become ambassadors to who have made a life choice to serve as models of this mission which we may say Christ in the ministry of priesthood. I am most is God’s plan to reunite the grateful to the Sulpicians for the invitation to return Church in the AMECEA to southern Africa.” Region.” Thomas Ulshafer, PSS Fr. Ulshafer recently retired Victor Shikaputo, PSS will be assisting with the Fr. Shikaputo will serve as transition at St. Anthony’s Vice Rector. He served on the Seminary, Kachebere. He will Formation Faculty at Emmaus present to the faculty on the Spirituality Centre in Lusaka, Charism and History of the Zambia. Sulpicians. “The Society has always Rev. Emmanuel Ichidi tried to make itself available to Fr. Ichidi will join the assist bishops who need our Formation Faculty. A Sulpician help. This is part of our candidate, he served on the mission as a community. And so I hope to be a Formation Faculty at Emmaus support to the three Zambian confreres who are Spirituality Centre in Lusaka, going to Malawi to assist the Episcopal Zambia. Conference there. I am happy to go to Malawi to give moral support to my Zambian brothers, the Mary Furlong pioneers of this new commitment. Ms. Furlong, a laywoman who served in Zambia “Since I am retired, some people have said that for six years with the Franciscans and Jesuits on it is a great sacrifice for me to go to Malawi. But I see it less as a burden and more as a privilege. separate projects related to education and AIDS, I admire the Zambian confreres who are going is joining the faculty where she will teach U.S. there and I know that I will enjoy being with them. English, pronunciation, and grammar, and other This is a good way for me to continue to contribute courses as needed.